BALTIMORE, Jan. 7 (UPI) -- France was given the No. 1 spot as having the best quality of life, a survey by International Living magazine indicates.
The magazine each January releases its Quality of Life Index, which takes nine categories into account. Among the data considered are cost of living, culture, environment, infrastructure and safety and risk.
France topped the chart for the fifth consecutive year, with International Living saying, "No surprise, the tiresome bureaucracy and high taxes are outweighed by an unsurpassable quality of life, including the world's best healthcare."
The magazine rankings gave France a score of 82, just ahead of Australia, Switzerland and Germany. New Zealand was fifth with Luxembourg sixth and the United States seventh. Belgium, Canada and Italy, in that order, completed the Top 10.
Somalia was listed last, with Yemen, Sudan, Chad and Afghanistan also near the end of the 194-country list.
Other countries of interest: No. 25, the United Kingdom; No. 36, Japan; No. 97, China, and No. 111, Russia.
